Progeny
by FiliaFlammae
Summary: How Taka became Scar, Mufasa inherited the throne, and Sarafina came to the Pridelands...among other things.
1. Introduction

"Sire! Sire!"

The young hornbill knew he wasn't supposed to be here. His mother was the king's advisor, not him. What was he thinking, bursting into the king's home unaccompanied? But he'd seen what he'd seen, and something had to be done, and fast. He flapped towards the sunning rocks as quickly as he could manage.

"Sire!" Zazu cried again as he swooped down in front of the great king himself, sprawled across a large rock near the top of the hill. The golden-furred, black-maned creature looked enormous to the young bird. He was snoring faintly. "Sire, please!" Zazu begged nervously, fidgeting and shifting from foot to foot. Still no response. Zazu took a deep breath and crept tentatively towards the lion, craning his beak towards the great cat's ear. "Sire?"

"Wha—?!"

Ahadi's head shot up as he was startled from his sleep. He turned quickly to the bird, his reflexes already at the ready. "You!" he said after half a moment's pause. "You're Zuzu's son."

"I-I-Indeed, sire," Zazu stammered.

"What happened?" Ahadi demanded, already fully alert. "What did you see, a fire? Rogues? Hyenas?"

"Wild dogs."

Ahadi tensed. No dog packs lived near the kingdom. "Where?" he demanded, leaping to his feet.

"South, downriver," Zazu panted. "Outside the border."

"Oh." Ahadi relaxed slightly. "Good, so they know the boundary. It's not as urgent as I feared." He started to settle back down.

"Sire, please!" Zazu pleaded, his voice cracking.

"What?" Ahadi spat, looking back up at the bird.

Zazu cowered in fear beneath his king's hard emerald gaze. "If y-you'd seen," he began, quivering, "if you'd been there and heard."

The king exhaled sharply. "What?"

"Y-You know the kingdom to the south?"

"Maliki's pride?" Ahadi was sounding interested again.

"I didn't get all too many details," Zazu recounted, "but it seems the king—"

"Maliki."

"Well, they were poaching in the ki—er, Maliki's lands. Apparently he recently found out and drove them away. And now," Zazu lowered his voice to a whisper, "they're plotting."

"Plotting?" Ahadi responded in an equally low voice. "Plotting what?" He sounded concerned now.

"Plotting to sneak into the pride. To kill the king."

Ahadi was speechless for a moment. As a rule, different lion prides didn't generally help each other. Sometimes delegates or the kings themselves would meet to solidify boundaries or resource disputes, but they didn't actively provide assistance. At least, not traditionally.

"Sire, I beg you," Zazu pleaded," you can't let them do this."

Ahadi thought for another moment, then abruptly stood up. Screw tradition. "You're right, young one. This atrocity must not happen. Mufasa, Taka!" he barked as he began to gallop down the hill. "Come with me!"

As the king reached the bottom of the hill, two younger males appeared from the rocks. Ahadi's sons fell into step alongside their father as the trio ran across the golden grasslands, headed for the southern border.


	2. Balance and Duty

Evening was approaching as the three great cats galloped through the plains. The cooling air continuously renewed their vigor; if it had been noon, there was no way they'd have been able to keep up the pace they were keeping now. Off to the right was the gorge, through which the river ran in the cooler seasons. Beyond the gorge, further to the west, lay a desert; what was beyond that nobody knew. They were headed along the river's course, due south.

"So enlighten me," Taka grumbled as they jogged along, "where exactly are we going and why?"

"South," Ahadi replied.

"Yeah, I know that. What is it that we're going to do?"

"I have received word," the king explained, "that the kingdom just to the south of us is in danger."

"Ah," said Mufasa. "So we will be offering assistance of some sort. What kind of danger?"

"There is a pa—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Taka protested. "We're helping another pride?"

Ahadi looked sternly at his younger son. "Yes, that is exactly what we're doing," he growled.

"But why?" Taka persisted. "Why do we care? They're not us. We're not them."

Ahadi slowed to a halt, the younger two following suit. "You don't know what we are dealing with," he said darkly. "The king of the pride is called Maliki. I've met him; he is a calm, logical, open-minded lion. He governs his pride well for one so young. I hold respect for him."

"But isn't another pride still a threat? They could be enemies!"

"They are most certainly not our enemies." Ahadi's face was stony. "Not long ago we had a little border dispute; the young lad had just recently claimed leadership of his pride. I admit that I became quite angry, but when I chased Maliki down at the border, he clearly didn't want to fight. We worked the matter through thoughtfully rather than having a duel over it. At no other time has he shown any disrespect for the border, and neither have I."

Taka remained silent, lowering his head submissively to signal that he had lost the argument.

"So what exactly is it, this 'danger' that we're going to help them through?" Mufasa inquired again.

"Recently the land was intruded upon by a pack of wild dogs. He chased them away, but now they're plotting revenge. They intend to infiltrate the pride and assassinate Maliki."

Both sons were shocked into silence. They had both dealt with hyenas before, albeit in very different ways, and both knew that though they were bothersome and greedy, they weren't the brightest or bravest animals. But these dogs…they seemed not only more intelligent than hyenas, but more vicious and much more dangerous.

"It is not a matter of going out on a limb to help strangers," Ahadi said. "It is a matter of removing a common threat, a common enemy. It is a matter of preventing an unnatural atrocity. It is a matter of balance, a matter of duty." He paused and looked around warily. "Let's move on," he growled, easing back into a trot. "We have no time to lose."

Taka and Mufasa followed suit, resuming jogging alongside their father. The sky was indeed getting darker now, and they could afford no more delays, not when they knew so little of the dogs' plan. Not when they had no idea when the enemy would make its move.

For a while they ran in relative silence. The grass rustled as they raced past it. The wind whistled in their ears. The ground pounded against their feet. Their breath rustled in their throats.

"Dad," Taka wheezed after about fifteen minutes, "could we," he panted, "maybe slow down?"

"Wait!" Ahadi hissed. He slid to a halt, his sons close behind him. He put his paw cautioningly in front of Taka, eyes fixed straight ahead. "Shh." He waited for a moment, ears cocked forward. His nostrils flared. Mufasa and Taka watched him in silence, awe, and fear. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he turned back to them.

"We are here," he mouthed so quietly they could barely hear him. "I'm going in. Mufasa, you're stronger; stay here and cover me if anything happens. Taka, you're stealthier; skirt around them, and follow the gorge! You must warn the pride. They congregate at Guardian Cliff, overlooking the river. They must know of the plot, and we will need backup. Go, quickly!"

Taka nodded in acceptance of his mission. He turned quickly yet carefully, and a moment later he had completely vanished into the tall grass.

Ahadi turned to his other son. "Now, Mufasa," he whispered, "I'm going out there, but you must know what lies at stake here."

Mufasa looked confused. "The well-being of our pride and theirs?"

"Uh, yes," Ahadi conceded, "but no. You see, I…" He trailed off. "I'm not as young as I once was, Mufasa. I could very well be facing my death this evening. If that happens, you must not—"

"No!" Mufasa protested, sudden fear in his eyes. "Father, you can't!"

"_You must not_ keep yourself in danger. If I am killed, don't stick around and fight. Get the hell out. Get back to Pride Rock. You must be ready to tell the pride what happened. You must be ready to take the throne. You, you and Sarabi, must be ready to lead our people."

"Father, no," Mufasa moaned, tears burning in his eyes. "You can't say that…"

"Shh," Ahadi said. "Don't worry. This is a worst case scenario. If the worst should happen, save yourself and lead our pride."

"What about Taka?"

"Roar for him. He should come to you. If not, he should be able to get back home. He's a smart boy."

Mufasa stifled a sob and angrily wiped his face with his arm.

"Now, now, Mufasa. We'll be fine."

"I'm okay," Mufasa managed to say. He lowered his paw. "I'm fine."

"Hey," Ahadi said, giving his son a gentle swat on the arm. "Keep that chin up and those tears dry. We've got some doggy ass to kick."

* * *

Taka couldn't help but keep thinking "This is so dumb" as he jogged along the cliff. He could really care less about a foreign pride. Sure, it was a shame they were getting attacked, but what did it have to do with him? Sometimes he just didn't understand his father…

Yet the fact that his father had dragged him into this had two sides. Ahadi was actually letting him do something. That rarely happened; the two of them weren't always on the best of terms. This was a chance for Taka to fulfill and even exceed his father's expectations. A chance to show himself off as a worthy son after all! Maybe his father would change his mind about him! Taka picked up the pace with renewed vigor. He could see Guardian Cliff up ahead…

Movement, on his left!

"What the…"

Before Taka knew what had happened, he was pinned face down on the ground by something heavy. He struggled to break free but it was no use.

"Well, well," came a voice above him. "Another intruder. Sheesh, I'll never get a break."

Suddenly Taka was roughly flipped over. He was now staring into the aqua-blue eyes of a strange young adult lion, not much older than himself. His father wasn't kidding when he said this guy was young for a king. The lion had a pale blond coat and his mane, though healthy-looking for its size, wasn't all that dark. Taka couldn't help but think it was rather unimpressive.

"You look vaguely familiar," the young lion mused aloud. "Have I met your father?"

"I am Taka, son of King Ahadi, and I come in peace!" Taka blurted.

The lion's hostile face visibly softened. "Ahadi's kin? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" He stood up and got off of Taka's chest, much to the younger lion's relief. "What brings you here, esteemed prince?"

"Oh, cut it with the formalities," Taka growled. "Are you Maliki?"

The lion looked slightly affronted by such direct address, but nodded yes.

"You recently drove off a pack of dogs, correct?"

"That I did," Maliki confirmed.

"Yeah, well, we found out they're after you."

Maliki grew tense. "What do you mean?"

"They have been plotting an assassination attempt," Taka said grimly. "They want their revenge…and they want you dead."

Maliki didn't say anything. He looked frozen in place with a dazed expression on his face.

"In any case," Taka continued, "my father and brother are currently trying to detain the dogs near the border. But they can't hold up for long. I implore you to take this opportunity to rid your kingdom of those mongrels once and for all. Come with me!" He indicated the direction he had come. "We have no time to lose!"

For a moment Taka feared Maliki would do nothing, but presently his stunned face pulled into a scowl. He raised his head and roared to the sky, a roar that rang in Taka's ears. And then, then he heard movement, the sound of many paws hitting the ground. Taka looked over Maliki's shoulder toward Guardian Cliff. There they were, about a dozen lionesses running towards them en masse.

Maliki lowered his head as the lionesses assembled behind him. "Lead the way, young prince."


	3. The Unthinkable

Mufasa held his breath when he saw the pack's headquarters. There must have been twenty dogs clustered there, perhaps more! Several were pacing. Some were lounging, though Mufasa wasn't sure if that was quite the word to use, since they looked so alert, ready for action. One off in the corner was looking up at the sky, which was now very dark. He turned and trotted towards the middle of the group.

"All right, everyone!" he called in a snappish tone. The other dogs turned their attention towards him. "We're about to head out. Does everyone remember their positions?" The pack nodded eagerly. "Well, just in case you don't, here they are," the head dog said bossily. He started to point towards different clumps of dogs in turn. "You three are following the river. You four have the easterly strip. You sweep the center, you check the south boundary. I'll take you guys along the northern edge. When you find him, you know what to do. Now let's move!" There was a flurry of activity as the dogs got to their feet and started to dissipate.

"Wait!"

The leader twitched and whirled around. The other dogs, confused, stopped in their tracks and looked back at the leader. He himself had his eyes fixed on Ahadi, who had just come out from his hiding spot. "Who are you?" he demanded harshly.

Ahadi smiled in a friendly manner. "I was just going to say that you seem to be lacking a backup plan."

The alpha dog scowled. "What do you mean, 'backup plan'?"

"Oh, you know. In case you can't find him, or you get hindered by lionesses, or something. The usual."

A second dog with a notch in its ear walked up beside the leader and muttered something in his ear. The alpha nodded ever so slightly, and the other dog pulled back. "So tell me, lion. How much do you know?"

"Know?" Ahadi asked innocently. "Know what?"

"Don't give me that," the dog growled dangerously. "You appear to be quite familiar with our plan."

"Oh, yes, the plan," Ahadi stalled. "Yes, yes, the plan. Of course. It's an assassination plan."

A shocked murmur swept through the pack. The alpha male was looking quite furious. Mufasa realized with a shock that the dog with the ear notch wasn't there anymore. Suddenly nervous, he took his eyes from the discourse in the clearing ahead and looked around him, expecting to see the dog pouncing in him any moment…

"Where are you from, lion?" the leader continued.

"Oh, up north," Ahadi offered. "I don't live around here, no, no. I'm not a member of this pride here. Just passing through, yes, just passing through."

"Uh-huh." The alpha seemed to be thinking hard. "You claim to not be in cohorts with Maliki."

"With who? I don't know anyone named Maliki. Nope. Nuh-uh."

"How could you not recognize his name, when you've clearly spied so intently on us?"

A shadow! There, right behind Ahadi!

"Father!" Mufasa cried. "Behind you!"

Ahadi turned too late. In a flash the nip-eared dog was on top of him, snarling and clawing at the lion's head. Ahadi growled in fury and swung his head to the side, sending the dog flying a good ten feet. But in the time the distraction had taken, the pack had mobilized. Within seconds Ahadi was completely engulfed by snapping jaws and shredding claws.

Mufasa leapt from his stakeout in the grass and tore down the rise. With a roar he barreled into the heart of the fight. He felt the sudden collisions on his head and shoulders, flinched as teeth and claws raked across his hindquarters. He began to swing wildly at the dogs with his heavy paws. He didn't care who he stepped on, who he rammed out of the way. He just had to get to Father!

His ears were assaulted by a cacophony of snarls, rips, and thuds. An endless sea of moving limbs thrashed through his range of vision. He had no idea how Ahadi was faring, what the dogs were doing to him, if they had a plan of attack. All he could do was attack, attack, attack, leaving no opening to be attacked himself, at least from the front. A sudden pain jolted into his thigh. He spun around and pummeled the culprit, who fell back into the sea of movement and fur. He leapt back around, crushing someone else. Yet the dogs kept coming. It hadn't seemed like there were this many of them before!

A jolt of pain shot through his other leg. Mufasa turned and crushed the dog that had made it, but he could sense that he was weakening. He began to turn back to where he was, but he was slowing down, and the dogs were on top of him. They pushed him to the ground. He tried to swipe at them, but gravity was now working against his heavy arms. He flinched as he felt claws and teeth raking his back and digging into his side. His tired head was sinking back toward the ground. It was over....

Through the haze he heard a change in the sounds of the battle: less fury, more fear. Within moments the attacks on him ceased, though he wasn't sure why. He could see only blurs. His entire body was burning with pain. He felt his consciousness slipping. He had failed.

"Oy! Muffy!"

Mufasa's eyes flickered open as his mind reluctantly kicked back into gear. His fuzzy vision cleared, and he saw none other than his brother Taka, crouched in front of him and panting. His shoulder had been slashed and there was a bleeding gash over his left eye, but aside from that he looked fine, if not tired and shaken.

"Taka?" Mufasa groaned.

"Come on," Taka whined, batting at Mufasa's paw.

"What?"

"It's Dad."

Mufasa lurched upwards and promptly staggered and fell. "Father! Is he all right? How hurt is he? He didn't...no...." He pushed himself to his feet a second time and looked around. There were several strange lionesses standing around. A few dogs had fallen, their carcasses strewn on the ground. But there, a mass of gold, black, and crimson red fur. He staggered dizzily towards it. No! It couldn't have happened....

Ahadi was streaked in bright red blood. His body was littered with scratches of varying sizes, from light scrapes to deep gashes. His right hind paw looked as if it had been shredded to pieces. There was a wide, long slash that started near his right elbow and arced up his side, revealing his ribs. Blood steadily dribbled from the wound, collecting in a scarlet pool beneath him. But worst of all was his throat. A huge chunk of Ahadi's once glorious mane was gone, and within the wound shone still-fresh blood that shook and bubbled in time with the lion's ragged breathing. It was undoubtedly a mortal wound.

Mufasa collapsed in front of his father, gasping and shaking with sobs. "No," he whispered in despair. "No...." A tear slid down his cheek. Not this!

Ahadi's breath rattled in his throat. He mumbled something.

"What?" Mufasa leaned his head down near Ahadi's mouth. "What is it, Father?" he whispered.

"Mufasa..." Ahadi murmured. He drew in an uneven, shuddering breath. "Mufasa...."

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Mufasa asked tearfully.

"The...the stars..." Ahadi whispered.

"What?"

"I must see the stars," Ahadi managed to say with more force. He gasped noisily and began to cough, giant rasping coughs that shook his entire frail body. Every cough sent a spasm through the downed lion. Mufasa could do nothing but watch in horror as his father writhed in the pool of blood. After several painfully long seconds the fit died down, and Ahadi's form settled.

"What did you say?" Mufasa whispered.

"Let...let me..." Ahadi breathed, "look at…the stars."

"Oh, uh...okay." Mufasa put his muzzle to the ground behind Ahadi's ear. With some difficulty he worked his nose under his father's head and, ever so gently, raised it about a foot. Ahadi's eyes flickered up to the night sky.

"My father...your grandfather Mohatu...he's...he's up there." Ahadi gasped. "Maybe I...I...."

"Maybe you what?" Mufasa asked gently.

"Maybe...I...I join him...tonight. But...I don't know...."

"What? What is it that you don't know?"

Ahadi took in another harsh, rattling breath. "Mufasa."

"Yes?"

"Tell...tell Taka...tell him I'm...I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm...sorry...."

Ahadi's breath trailed off slowly. His head and neck sagged heavily against Mufasa's muzzle. The young lion held nothing now but dead weight.

It was over. Silently, Mufasa eased his father's head down to the earth. He stood up. The torn body didn't seem so ragged anymore. It was strangely majestic, lying there, glistening beneath the moonlight. It was at peace.

Mufasa was vaguely aware of many eyes watching him. He knew the lionesses all had their eyes on him, but it wasn't important.

"Gentlemen?"

Mufasa turned to face the source of the voice. Several feet away he saw Taka turning around too. The one who had spoken was a strange male, relatively young with a pale mane. He hung his head respectfully.

"Accept my deepest apologies for your loss," he said quietly. "Your father was truly a great king." He looked up. "How can I ever repay you for what you have done for us?"

Taka looked confused. "What?"

"You and your father risked your lives to save me," he said solemnly. "I must give you something in return."

"No, really," Mufasa fumbled, "you don't have to do anything...."

"King Ahadi has died on my lands," the lion growled. "As long as I live the thought will haunt me. Do not tell me I should do nothing."

"We..." Taka began. "Uh...we'll think about it. Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," the lion insisted. He sank down into a bow. "I, Maliki, and all of my lionesses are forever indebted to you, Crown Prince Taka, and to you, King Mufasa."

The lionesses followed Maliki's example, forming a living wave as they sank low to the ground in obeisance to the sons of Ahadi.


	4. News

The walk back to Pride Rock was long and silent. Neither Taka nor Mufasa dared say anything. The only thing audible was the slight rustling of grass as they walked. It was as if the night held its breath, the brittle air ready to shatter at any moment. After what felt like a century, the silence was broken.

"Crown Prince," Taka muttered.

Mufasa looked at him. "What?"

"It's like he knew. He just went out and assumed that you were next in line."

"Well," Mufasa began reluctantly, "to be fair, I do look older than you."

"That's not the point!" Taka spat, coming to a halt. "The point is, the idea of one single king that's always the eldest son of the older king is antiquated and dumb!"

"I don't think so."

"Of course you don't," Taka hissed. "You're the one in line."

"Not anymore," Mufasa growled defensively. "Technically I am the king now."

"Because of an antiquated practice! Giving superiority solely to the eldest son? It's downright unfair!"

"Who cares if it's unfair? It works!" Mufasa's voice was rising. "Look. So one of the king's sons is going to be the king when he's gone. That son is raised with care and taught well on how to be a good leader. Hopefully that son will indeed be a good leader when the time comes. In the end, the choice of the son is unimportant. What's important is the welfare of the kingdom."

"Oh, so the eldest son is inherently better now, huh?"

"No! It's because the eldest son, since they know early on he will be king, gets the proper training!"

"That doesn't change the fact that it's completely and totally unfair!" Taka bellowed. "The basis of the choice is arbitrary!"

"And I'm saying that it doesn't matter anyway!"

"You mean, it doesn't matter," here Taka adopted a lofty voice, "for the sake of the kingdom."

"Yeah, well, you know what? I care a lot about my kingdom!"

"So you're already claiming it as yours! Ha! Already so eager to claim the throne for himself!"

"I don't want it all for myself! I'm king now because all my life I was _going_ to be king!"

"Because of your precious customs and traditions! Thanks to you, I never got the chance!"

"For the last time, I didn't pick this!" Mufasa boomed. "Have you got it through your thick head yet?! _I didn't pick this!_"

"Then how come you sound so ready for it?"

"I'm not!"

"Sure, and I'm a zebra in disguise. Of course you are!"

"No I'm not!" Mufasa could feel angry tears coming. "You expect me to be ready to jump up and lead a pride? I'm not ready! I'm everything but ready! But I know I have to do it anyway. I know the pride needs a leader. They're counting on me. I have to...to step up to the plate. I have to, now that...now that Father's.…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He looked pitifully down at his paws.

"You go do that," came Taka's suddenly cool voice. "You just go do that. Go ahead and claim the throne in the spirit of outdated traditions. I'm not going to stop you. Go ahead and follow in your precious father's pawprints. Take the throne. It's all yours."

The sound of rustling grass resumed. Mufasa looked up to see Taka walking haughtily away. Presently the young lion paused and looked back over his shoulder, a steely glint in his eyes. "But just you remember, Mufasa. It won't be yours forever." He continued to walk.

"Taka!" Mufasa called in desperation.

Taka shuddered to a halt, but did not turn. "I refuse to be called by that name any longer," he growled. "That filthy name bestowed by my father. No. For too long have I been called that by the lion who kept me from my future. See this?" He swung around and showed Mufasa the left side of his face. "See this wound? It is deep; that much I can feel. It will leave a lasting scar." He turned and locked onto Mufasa's gaze. "I received this wound in trying to prove myself to that lion. I took the chance to show my father that I was really worth something, and do you know what happened? He got himself killed and didn't even ask for me in his dying moments."

"Nonsense. Of course he.…" Mufasa paused. Had he heard correctly? "Wait. What?"

"You got that right. I find my father torn and bleeding on the battlefield, breathing his last breaths. And do you know what he tells me? 'Get Mufasa.' I seethed inside at those words. But I did what he said. I remained a loyal son to the last. And this is what I get." Taka paused for dramatic effect. "This scar is and will always be a symbol of my pain. What more fitting name could I be called than that?"

Mufasa's head was spinning. At first he thought he wasn't familiar with any of this. It was so harsh, so impossible! But at the same time, he could not deny that the words of his littermate were true. It was all true, every word.

"Taka is gone," the younger twin rumbled. "My name is Scar." And with that he trotted off to disappear into the grass.

* * *

A footfall. Sarabi's ears perked up at the noise, and she looked anxiously towards the cave entrance. There, coming up from the path, was her love, the young and handsome Prince Mufasa.

"Mufasa!" she whispered excitedly as she stood up and trotted toward him. "You're back! I was getting worried."

Mufasa, strangely, stood stone still. He hadn't even acknowledged her. How odd.

"So..." Sarabi said awkwardly. "Uh...where are the others? Your dad and Taka?"

Mufasa slowly raised his head to meet Sarabi's gaze. With a shock she noticed that his eyes were red and a bit puffy. And his expression! It looked dazed, deadened. His stare was oddly vacant. For a long time he just stared numbly into her eyes. After a few moments she became uncomfortable and looked down.

"I only want to say this once," he moaned.

Sarabi was genuinely worried now. "What?" she asked, looking back up at him. "What happened?"

"I said, I only want to say this once," Mufasa repeated. He paused for several seconds, clearly reluctant to do anything. "Well, come on," he finally conceded. "Let's wake them up."

Sarabi stood still for a moment, not registering what he wanted. Then it snapped into place. She hurried over to her mother and gently nudged the sleeping lioness.

"Mother," she whispered as her mother stirred.

"Sarabi?" the lioness murmured sleepily, blinking. "What is it?"

"I don't know yet," Sarabi whispered. "I don't know anything yet." She glanced over to Mufasa, who was currently rousing his mother, Queen Uru. She turned back to her mother. "Let's just get the pride up."

"Oh…okay." There was more life in the lioness' eyes now; she was curious. She turned and began to wake the lioness next to her. Sarabi moved on to a different area of the cave. As she gently roused a young lioness and gave her the same instruction—to help get the pride awake—she felt something brush her back. She turned and saw Mufasa walking away from her, towards a corner of the cave that was not yet stirring. He did nothing to acknowledge his passing her, or anything to show that he even knew he had passed her. Sarabi noticed with a shock that he was limping slightly. Suddenly she took it all in: his body was covered in wounds, both deep and shallow. She could not help but gasp.

Mufasa proceeded to wake his grandmother Johari, the oldest living pride member. Sarabi heard the aging lioness mutter something incoherent as her eyes flickered open. Once she was awoken, though, she looked obediently up at Mufasa. The male murmured something, most likely the instruction to wake the rest of the pride. Johari nodded slowly and turned to the nearest lioness.

Within a minute the entire cave rustled with movement and confused murmurs. Mufasa drifted slowly back up to where the queen lay; the floor here, reserved for the royal family, was slightly elevated. Sarabi watched, unmoving, as the prince turned to look at the pride. A hush fell over the lionesses. For many moments there was expectant silence, as the pride waited with bated breath to hear whatever news the prince had brought. Though the cave was quiet, tension still mounted. After several seconds, Mufasa drew in a deep breath.

"Tonight," he began, "we lost a great soul."

A wave of motion swept through the cave. Lionesses were whispering nervously to each other. Several moments passed before their attention returned to Mufasa.

"My father was…an amazing lion. He was…um…an outstanding king, keeping our beloved land in order and living in harmony. He was a good leader, identifying with all of us, identifying with everyone on this plain, our competitors, even our prey. He was a loving mate; I used to—" He faltered and glanced behind him, at the queen. But Uru was not looking at her son. She was staring at the ground.

"Uh…" Mufasa continued, receiving no input. "I used to see, in my mother such a—a life, such happiness, that could only have come from my father. She had—er, she has—such an optimistic outlook on life. For the longest time, I didn't know what it was about her, but she was always so happy. I see now, now that…unh." He winced. "B-but above all," he continued, "he was a caring father. My father. I see now why my mother was always so happy. There was…there was something about Father that brought out the best in people. I-I don't know what it was. He had bad moments just like everybody else. But when he had a good moment, he made that moment count. I—"

Mufasa hung his head. His face was contorted in pain, and a tear leaked from his eye and dripped off his muzzle. "I miss him already," he breathed. "I always will; we all will." He looked up and straightened his posture, looking ahead with relative confidence. "But I will do what I can to fill the void left by his absence. From this point forward, I will be your king."

The silence lasted another second. Then each and every lioness bowed her head to honor the new king. All except Uru, who was still staring numbly at the ground; and Sarabi, whose eyes were fixed vacantly on Mufasa. Her love, her mate, the king! So soon, so quickly. Her mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea. Her boyfriend, the king? She'd known this was coming, in a superficial sort of way. But this was so different than how she had pictured. It wasn't a picture at all. This was real.

As the lionesses settled, Sarabi was vaguely aware of Mufasa drifting towards her. Finally he stood before her, once again looking into her eyes with a dazed expression. This time she held his gaze. She lost track of the time as they sat there, eyes locked on each other. An eternity later, Mufasa's eyes suddenly closed. He sat, placed a paw over her paw, and leaned in, pressing his face to her neck. Sarabi felt his tears soak into her fur.

"Help me," he whispered tearfully. "I c-c-can't do this alone, Sarabi." He took a shuddering breath. "Help me, my queen!"

Sarabi, freed from her torpor, buried her nose in his mane and let her tears finally flow.


	5. A Story

The rising sun illuminated Pride Rock's peak first. A young but well-built lion stood alone there, facing east; his eyes were closed as he inclined his head into the light. Warmth washed over him, dispelling the chill of the night and, at least temporarily, of the icy void that was his loss. There were things to be done in the kingdom today. He breathed deeply and roared across the plain, a summons. Then, opening his eyes, he turned and walked down the spiraling path that would lead him to the main cave.

The great Circle of Life was forever taking its course. Death was simply the natural result of life, after a while, and it did him no good to bemoan that fact for long. Things would move on, and he would be sure to be a part of it.

At the base of the stone peak, near the cave entrance, the lionesses had gathered into a ring. There, furthest back in the ring, sat Sarabi. Beside her was a person who was, surprisingly, not a lion. The kingdom's shaman, the baboon Rafiki, had been Mufasa's good friend for many moons. As Mufasa walked to his place next to Sarabi, he stopped and embraced the visitor warmly.

"Thank you for coming, old friend," Mufasa said quietly.

"I wouldn't miss it for de world," Rafiki replied, smiling. "Good luck."

Mufasa returned the smile and took his place next to Sarabi. With that the ceremony commenced. The lion swept his gaze along the circle of smiling lionesses, his hunters and friends. But as he looked upon his court, he noticed with a shock that Uru was not among them. There was no way to do anything about it, though. The short ceremony was already over, as Rafiki shook his shaman's staff over the heads of the two lions. Sarabi had started nuzzling Mufasa, distracting him from his worries about his mother. He returned the affection genuinely. The two stood up and walked through the ring, as the lionesses bowed their heads respectfully.

The newly wedded pair continued all the way to the end of the promontory. In the plains below them, all the animals of the kingdom had gathered. They had responded to his call. A strange joy began to well up inside Mufasa, a sort of mix of gratitude and pride. His new subjects had come to welcome him.

Mufasa and Sarabi glanced at each other briefly, their eyes shining with excitement. Then, as one, they roared. They roared to signify the beginning of a new rule, and the animals rejoiced at it.

* * *

The former queen still lay numb and cold in her sleeping place in the cave, staring at the ground. Yet her unfocused eyes did not register the dirt and stone before her.

Ahadi was gone. Just like that. If he had been dying from a disease, or old age, perhaps she would have been able to handle it. But no warning, no explanation. One day he was napping next to her, the next he would never be coming back.

Ahadi, gone. Her king, gone.

The empty place on her right side seemed to be an entity of its own, a lifeless presence—or absence of a presence—that chilled her to the bone. He was no longer there. Instead, there was this dead, frozen nothingness that relentlessly pressed against her.

She should have known it was coming. They had enjoyed each other's company so much, had relished in caring for their two sons, that they had forgotten that they were growing older. It should have been obvious. Mufasa and Taka were adults now, meaning that they themselves were weakening.

How long had they loved each other? Certainly much longer than their sons had been alive. They'd been in love before Ahadi's mane had grown in fully. But even before that…even before that, they had spent so much time together. They had been such good cubhood friends. She supposed it was lucky that they had gotten along so well, right from the start; they'd been betrothed since infancy, after all.

Betrothal. It was a peculiar old custom. For generations untold, the newly born prince or princess would be pledged to another cub, and those two would become the king and queen. So it had been with them: she had been selected at birth to become then-newborn Ahadi's future queen.

But just how did they choose? By what stroke of luck had _she_ been so destined to become consort of such a caring, loving king of a lion?

"Uru?"

Uru heard the aging, quavering voice of her mother, Johari. She did not move her head; she'd been frozen in this depressed posture for too long.

"You missed the ceremony," the old lioness continued. "Your son, Mufasa, and his betrothed Sarabi are finally married, and officially the rulers of the Pride Lands. I'm surprised you didn't attend."

Johari's daughter still didn't move. She hadn't made any acknowledgment of her mother's presence.

"My dear, are you quite all right?"

Uru shivered. "No," she said weakly.

Johari leaned down towards her daughter. "There, there. I know you're upset about your husband. But you'll be feeling better soon, I'm sure of it."

A low moan escaped Uru.

"Now, now, things will be all right. Look at your son. You have raised him so well to become ruler of this land. He's already eager to show what he can do."

"Mother?" Uru whispered, still not moving.

"Yes, dear, what is it?"

"Why were Ahadi and I betrothed?"

"What do you mean?" Johari asked. "Betrothal to the newborn heir apparent has been a tradition of our pride for many generations. You know that."

"That's not what I meant," Uru mumbled. "Why was I, a nobody named Uru, betrothed to Prince Ahadi?"

Johari drew back. "Uru, you're not a nobody! How can you—"

"Why?" Uru persisted.

"Honey, I don't remember," Johari sighed. "That was so long ago."

"Please," Uru said. Slowly, she raised her head for the first time that day and looked into her mother's face. Her expression was somehow numb, dazed. "Tell me what you remember."

"Very well." Johari shakily lay down in front of her daughter. "We'll start from the beginning. Did I ever tell you who your father was?"

Uru's stony expression flickered nervously. "I thought you told me he was a rogue lion."

"He was. At least, he was at that time. But before that, before you were born, he was a member of the pride."

Uru was now looking quite disconcerted. "What was his name?" she asked.

"Njama," Johari answered. "His name was Njama, and he was King Mohatu's best friend. Or at least, he used to be." She paused, but Uru made no response. "You do remember King Mohatu, right?"

"Of course I do," Uru protested. "Considered the kindest king to ever rule the Pride Lands. He and Queen Nadhiri were Ahadi's foster parents."

"Exactly," Johari confirmed. She took a deep breath. "You see, my child, Mohatu wasn't always the altruistic being that we remember him as."

Uru looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Johari chuckled. "Yes. Surprising, isn't it? See, when he was a cub, he was very warm and friendly. I was only a cub back then. Yes, the four of us were good buddies back in the day. Mohatu, Nadhiri, Njama, and I. But the older we grew, the more apparent it became: Mohatu's parents were spoiling him. He came to be cocky and demanding. Ri and I—that's what her nickname was back then—distanced ourselves. However, Mohatu's personality began to rub off on Njama. All through adolescence the two of them had a sort of love-hate relationship going on; they did a lot of troublemaking together, but they could get in arguments easily. Most of us, I mean the rest of the pride, couldn't stand them. His parents were furious at themselves for what they had done to their son and his friend."

Uru's eyes were wide. "Wow," she breathed. "I had no idea."

Johari smiled. "It is a most intriguing story. Anyway, we were pretty much adults when something began to change. Over the course of…what was it, about a month? Yes, a month. It seemed that Mohatu's hotheadedness and arrogance began to slip away, and he started being more generous and apologetic to us. Nobody could ever decide what triggered it, but he was making so much of an effort to be a better person than he had been. We all had our theories, such as maybe he'd witnessed an animal in pain, or his true personality finally regained ground, or that maybe he'd met somebody brave enough to knock some sense into him—I know none of us were—those kinds of things. Well, the point is, through some method or another, Mohatu saw the error of his ways." She paused, her face weary. "The same could not be said for Njama."

Uru was transfixed by her mother's story. Oh, how much she hadn't known! This was amazing.

"There was a drought," Johari continued. "Mohatu, who had become the king by then, wisely ruled that we lions refrain from drinking as much as possible, since we can go without water for a longer time than other animals. And we are the hunters, after all. It was only fair."

"I see," Uru said. "And?"

"Well, we aren't perfect," Johari said. "We felt the pinch. Njama, apparently, needed something to take his mind off his thirst. And I…happened to be in heat…" She faltered.

Uru's expression became very sympathetic. "Aw, Mother," she murmured sadly, laying her paw on Johari's paw. "I'm terribly sorry."

"I was stupid," Johari muttered, looking at the ground. "I wasn't willing, I didn't like him, but I…I…"

"You needed it."

A lone tear leaked from Johari's eye. "Well, a couple of days later, it seemed like Njama had lost all sense of what was respectful. He walked down to what little of the waterhole was left and drank as much as he could. When the other animals tried to coax him into letting them have their turn, he scared them off. When Mohatu found out what happened, he was furious. He promptly sent Njama into exile. Of course, we were all glad to see him leave. But Njama was never truly gone." She looked pointedly at Uru.

"Because I was born," Uru concluded.

"And for that reason, once Mohatu learned of your birth, he had every intention of killing you, right then and there."

Uru's face suddenly shifted into one of fear. Could it be? Had the great former king, Mohatu, truly wanted her dead? It was a horrifying thought.

"But when he saw you," Johari continued, "he just couldn't do it. As much as he hated Njama for what he had done, he was too forgiving to punish his offspring for it."

There was an awkward silence. Uru didn't know why it felt awkward. The story was over. But something felt unfinished, incomplete. Hidden. "Mother," she said sternly, "you're not telling me everything."

Johari sighed in resignation. "Well, all right, we're not really sure why he spared you. Even for a lion as kind as Mohatu was, he could have ended your life so easily, for Njama had betrayed him greatly. I remember now. When he tracked me down, his face was cold and angry. I was fearful for you. You were huddled next to me. It wasn't until you turned towards him, when he saw your face…I swear, his expression changed so suddenly. It was as if there was something mysterious about you that made him change his mind."

There was a long silence. Realization slowly dawned on Uru's face as her paw drifted subconsciously upward to her forehead, where there was a tiny patch of pure white fur. It had always been there, and it was the reason that Johari had named her "diamond," for it shone like a lone jewel upon her brow.

"My mark," Uru breathed.

"Your mark," Johari confirmed.

"But why?" Uru puzzled. "Is it some sort of sign? What does it signify?"

"I do not know," Johari conceded. "I do not know what your mark meant to Mohatu, and I never have. But I know that it saved your life that day." The aged lioness broke off and coughed a few times, her thin frame shaking. "Forgive me," she muttered. "I haven't talked for that long in years."

Uru said nothing. She was tense, tense and very confused. She'd always been fond of her mark, but only as a defining physical feature, something unique to set her apart from the others. But now, to think that there was something else to it…

"So greatly was Mohatu moved by your mark," Johari continued, "that he did not only spare your life. That very moment he pronounced you as Ahadi's betrothed."

Uru's eyes grew wide as she looked back up at her mother. _Maybe it was destiny,_ a part of her mind whispered. _Maybe you were destined to love Ahadi, as shown by your mark._ But Uru shook her head to silence that quiet but hopeful voice. She needed to learn more.

"Thank you, Mother," Uru said, bowing her head respectfully. "I enjoyed the story." With that she stood and walked purposefully out of the cave.

"Anytime, dear," Johari warbled after her. "Anytime."


	6. The Realization

"Well, I must say, sire," Zuzu chirped as she fluttered above Mufasa's head, "you sure are shaping up well. You really do remind me of your father."

Mufasa chuckled and blushed as he walked. "Come on, I can't have gotten that good in a few hours."

"Don't give me that," Zuzu protested. "Did you even see the looks on those zebras' faces? Well, I guess you would have had to see yourself to believe it."

"I just told them what I made of the situation!" Mufasa shot back, smiling despite himself. "I just told them what I thought was fair."

"Ah, but the _way_ you told them—that was truly something. You're a natural demagogue."

Mufasa laughed. "I hoped I'd never be described with that word."

"Naw, I'm just jesting with you," Zuzu conceded with a smile.

Mufasa's ears twitched involuntarily before he realized that he had heard something. It was the sound of a bird flapping its wings, and somewhat erratically at that. He stopped in his tracks and turned. There, off in the distance, was the silhouette of a bird…a slightly panicky-looking bird.

"Zuzu," he said, grinning, "I think we've got an eavesdropper."

"Huh?" Zuzu chirped; she'd already flown several feet ahead. She flapped wildly to turn herself around in the air, though upon seeing the figure that was now fast approaching, her face became indignant.

"ZAZU!" she shrieked. "What do you think you're doing?"

Zuzu's son flapped into view, looking both winded and apologetic. "Sorry!" he gasped. "I just…I guess I just wanted to be a part of it, I guess." He fluttered to the ground, Zuzu following suit.

"You could have just told me you wanted to come along," she scolded. "Instead you try sneaking up behind us, when we could have very well been discussing confidential material."

"I'm s-s-sorry, Mother," Zazu stammered. "I just wanted to…to see what it's like to be the majordomo."

Zuzu looked silently upon her son for a moment. "You wanted a taste of my job?"

"No. I mean, yes. But no. Well, I mean, I'm sorry I went about it all the wrong way…"

"You really want this that much, honey?"

Zazu looked quizzically up at his mother. "What do you mean?"

Zuzu smiled. "You think I do not know my son well? Ever since I took up duty with Mufasa's parents, you've been trying to pry into everything, working on your speaking skills and protocol—though it may yet need a bit of polishing."

Zazu was wide-eyed. "You mean…"

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time, son. I've always had plans on teaching you and preparing you to be the royal majordomo after me. That is, if our king is willing." Zuzu turned and looked up at Mufasa. "Sire, if I educated Zazu here about all the duties I have done for your parents in the past, would you like to have him as your own advisor?"

Mufasa grinned. He was already rather fond of this little bird. "Well, Zazu," he said, "if it hadn't have been for you, we would never have been able to help King Maliki. I think I owe you one."

A smile began to spread across Zazu's face.

"I would love to have you as my majordomo, Zazu, once you have been trained."

"Oh…thank you, sire!" Zazu exclaimed giddily, sweeping into a bow. "You won't be disappointed!"

"Mufasa?"

A new voice out of nowhere, soft and timid. Mufasa and the two hornbills turned towards the source and were surprised to see none other than Uru, the former queen, approaching them.

"Mother?" Mufasa said, surprised.

"Son," Uru said quietly, "could I talk to you for a minute?" She looked pointedly at the hornbills.

Zuzu took this as a cue to leave. "Until later, milady," she said humbly as she turned and flew off, he son at her tail.

Uru and her son watched for a while as the two birds vanished into the distance. Presently Mufasa turned to his mother beside him. He hadn't seen her since early this morning. "Mother, are you all right?" he inquired gently.

Uru sighed, still gazing off across the horizon. "How did he die?"

"What?"

"You never told us how he died."

"Oh." Mufasa looked down at his paws. "Sorry."

"An apology is not appropriate here," Uru whispered. "What have you done to warrant an apology? Nothing."

"Uh…thank you?"

Uru was slow to speak again. Finally she said, "Show me."

"Sorry?"

"I would like to say goodbye."

"Oh. Uh, sure. This way." Mufasa turned and took a few steps southward, looking back to see that Uru was following him before speeding up into a brisk walk.

* * *

Every few minutes, Mufasa glanced anxiously back at his mother. Each time he checked, her gaze was fixed on the ground a few feet in front of her. The uneasy silence dragged on as they plodded through the grass. Hours must have passed before Mufasa had the nerve to say anything.

"I'll warn you, there's not much to say goodbye to," he finally muttered.

There was a pause before Uru answered. "What do you mean?" she asked dully.

"I mean, you'd be talking to a body," he answered. "Not to him. He's long gone."

"Gone," Uru echoed. It wasn't a question. It was as if the former queen were tasting the word, letting herself experience it, trying to understand it.

Several seconds went by, and several more. There was no wind; the only thing that made the grass rustle around them was their own footsteps. Mufasa wasn't sure how long he'd be able to take this quietness. It was driving him mad.

Eventually Uru broke the silence again. "If he's gone, where do you suppose he's gone to?"

"I…I don't know," Mufasa faltered.

"I'd like to hear your theories."

"Well, he said something…yes, he said something about his father Mohatu, who now lives among the stars. But it was like…"

"Like what?"

"Like he wasn't sure if he would follow, as if he'd only join his father if he was lucky. It was very strange."

There was a brief silence as Uru mulled this over. "Very strange indeed," she stated laconically.

Mufasa released a heavy sigh. "I felt bad for him. He sounded so worried…well, not worried. So uncertain. As if he'd done something wrong. I couldn't fathom it."

They walked on for a few minutes. Suddenly Uru's head shot up, her eyes wide. She sniffed the air. "Where are we?"

Mufasa looked back at her. "We're entering Maliki's territory, Mother."

"But what was he doing here?" she puzzled and she fell back into step behind her son.

Mufasa grimaced. He'd best get this over with now. "We got news about a pack of dogs in the area. They had gotten in trouble with King Maliki, so they called in reinforcements and began to plot revenge."

"And what was that revenge?"

"They wanted to assassinate Maliki. When Father heard of the situation, he called us here to try to stop them." Mufasa paused. "He was always a…I don't know the word. Kind, helpful. Self-sacrificing. Altruistic."

"You mean to tell me," Uru demanded, her voice beginning to shake, "that Aha—that _he_ came to protect a foreign pride from an attack?" She was breathing heavily now. "Is that what you're saying? That he went and got himself shredded up by a pack of dogs?"

Mufasa winced. "More or less," he mumbled.

Suddenly they came to a stop. Their noses had picked up the scent of…of something that had died. Mufasa cringed inwardly, but pushed on ahead. "This way." Uru reluctantly followed.

Presently they reached the battlefield. There were only a few corpses, but they hadn't been moved from where they had fallen. A scavenger or two had clearly been here already, for one of the dead dogs, near the middle of the place, had lost much of its skin and quite a bit of flesh, revealing its ribs to the world. A swarm of flies hovered over this one.

Mufasa turned his head to a different body before quickly looking away. "It's over there," he whispered to his mother. "I don't want to have to see it again."

Uru nodded to her son and began to drift slowly in the direction that Mufasa had indicated. This corpse was much larger than the others. Its head was on the side facing away from her; she could tell from the mass of shaggy, slightly matted fur that was as black as the midnight sky. Something drew her towards the body, more quickly now; perhaps it was a grim curiosity about his injuries, or a wild hope that maybe he wasn't dead, just unconscious. But then she slid to a stop in front of him, and there was no question.

There could be no question. Not only were the wounds many and deep—she couldn't look at them for long—but his very fur seemed duller. His side no longer rose and fell, nor did it emanate warmth. It was warm, for it had been sitting and rotting in the sun all morning, but it did not emanate warmth. There was a difference. She could feel it from here, the utter lack of life. Mufasa was right. This was not what she wanted to say goodbye to.

But even though this was not Ahadi, merely his body, Uru felt something happening inside her. Something was forcing its way out of her. Realization. Despair. Pain. The tears that she should have shed early that morning, all through the morning, over the entire walk here…she had refused to let them leave her. She had held them in, out of fear of wasting them. She had been too shocked, too disbelieving, too hopeful that it could all be a mistake, that maybe he hadn't died, that maybe Mufasa and Taka had only thought so though he was merely unconscious…

The pressure. Her face burned. She could not fight them any longer. Her vision blurred as water seeped into her eyes, spilling out over her face, but still it was not enough. She exploded with an enormous roar. It wasn't really a roar; it was more of a cry, a scream. Anguish. Agony.

Uru no longer had the power to cling to her disbelief, that force that had managed to numb her and protect her that morning. But the truth had finally broken down the barrier that she had unconsciously tried to build against it.

Her world was over.

* * *

Mufasa watched as the terrible sound finally died down. He saw his mother collapse on top of the body, sobbing weakly, trying desperately to squeeze one last bit of life out of it, a shred, a sign. He closed his eyes sadly. If only he had refused to bring her here; then he wouldn't have to see her, hear her, smell her as her heart was torn out. But she had asked, and he hadn't known.

If he had known, he still would have gone with it, he realized. That morning…her silence had disconcerted him. She hadn't attended the ceremony. She had been numb and lethargic, dead in a way, from the shock. Maybe this was a way to release that pent-up pain. He couldn't have been able to bear his mother shuffling about in a stupor for the rest of her life. Perhaps this was for the best.

He realized that she would be here for a while, so he turned around and slowly began the long walk back to Pride Rock.


	7. Beyond All Help

A pale lioness jogged towards Guardian Cliff, her aqua eyes shrouded in worry. As she approached, she slowed slightly and scanned the area, her gaze finally resting on the only male of the pride, who was walking amidst the other pride members as they gathered together to sleep. She sped up again, heading for him.

"Maliki!" she called as she slowed to a stop in front of him.

Her mate looked up at her, concern dancing across his young face. "Sarafina?"

"You'd better come see," Sarafina urged him, turning anxiously towards the north.

Looking perplexed, Maliki nodded hastily to the two lionesses he had begun chatting with and followed his queen. "What is it?" he inquired as they sped into a jog.

"I saw a strange lioness," she informed him.

"Where?"

"Near the border. At the battlefield."

Maliki fell silent for a moment. "What was she doing?" he asked.

"She…wasn't really doing anything," Sarafina murmured. "I mean, she wasn't moving. I don't think she even noticed I was there."

"What did you see?" Maliki tried again, with more urgency.

"She was next to one of the corpses," Sarafina said carefully.

"Which one?" Maliki prodded, though he had a feeling he knew already.

"Ahadi's," Sarafina confirmed.

"Yes," Maliki sighed. "I'll bet you anything that that was his queen, too late to properly say farewell. The poor thing."

Sarafina said nothing as they sped through the grass.

The two monarchs lost track of the time as the evening savannah rushed past. The sky was darkening quickly. Maliki shuddered. Yesterday, under this sky, at this time, he'd been running at this speed along this very route. The sensation was extremely eerie. "Talk about _déjà vu_," he muttered.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

It was clear now that they were close. Maliki could smell it: the lingering, haunting smell of dead things that sent a chill up his spine. They slowed and finally stopped. Shaking, the king gingerly parted the tall grass to look upon the clearing.

"That's her," Sarafina whispered, leaning near him.

King Ahadi's body lay where it had fallen, but now there was another mass of fur lying against it. One could tell immediately that this creature was a living one, the only thing that still breathed in that haunted clearing. The animal was slightly smaller than Ahadi and lacked a mane, marking her a female. Her pelt was darker than his, a warm, earthy brown. Her body was fairly still; every once in a while she shook with a fresh sob.

Maliki's expression became soft. He stepped into the clearing and cautiously approached the lioness. "Milady?" he prodded.

The lioness' ears twitched involuntarily, but she did not look up.

Maliki came a step closer and tried again. "Milady, can I help you with anything?"

The dark lioness raised her head slowly. Her cheeks were tear-stained. Maliki was surprised to see a bright white patch of fur upon her brow. Her eyelids slid open and she looked upon him with dull, unfocused-seeming ocher eyes. "There is nothing to help," she said simply.

"What is your name?" Maliki asked her.

"Uru," she told him unenthusiastically.

"Uru." A hint of a smile appeared on his face for the briefest moment. "That's a beautiful name. It means 'diamond.'" His eyes darted back to the white mark on her forehead before meeting her gaze again. "It suits you."

The lioness closed her eyes again as she appeared to sink into deep thought. Maliki held his breath as he waited. Many moments later, Uru once again opened her eyes and looked at him. "What about yours?" she inquired.

"Maliki," he sighed. "Not the most interesting name, I know. It means 'king.' Very unimaginative."

"May I ask you one favor, King Maliki?"

"Um…sure, whatever you'd like," he acquiesced.

"If my name were not Uru—say a lioness like me were your cub—what name would you give me?"

Maliki was taken aback. This was without a doubt the weirdest favor he had ever had to grant somebody.

"Hey, no flirting with my husband," Sarafina said from her position at the edge of the field. Maliki couldn't tell if she was joking or not; it was hard to sound humorous in this setting.

"Well, Uru," he began, "I suppose I would name you…well…" He paused to think. "It's hard to come up with a name. Uru fits you so well."

"Please, sire, take your time. I'm merely trying to figure something out, and I need a secondary source. I'm out of ideas."

"Okay, okay. Let me think." Maliki sat down and puzzled for a while. Of course, it would have to be a name that reflected her, in mind and body. He didn't know her very well yet, so he could only work off of her appearance. That white patch. He couldn't stop thinking about it. It gleamed like a diamond, truly. But she was already named Uru. What about Johari, meaning "jewel"? Naw, he didn't really like the way that one sounded. What else gleamed? Of course. Stars gleamed. That was what her mark was: a star, shining against her dark pelt.

"I believe I have your answer, milady," Maliki said with finality, looking back at her. "I would name you Nyota. It means 'star.'"

Uru's expression had been relatively stony this entire time, but her face shifted at what Maliki had told her. She seemed puzzled. She raised her head up to the night sky. The moon was a fat crescent, waning, and the stars shone clearly.

"Star," she breathed in awe and vague confusion.

Maliki waited a moment before speaking again. "Can I help you with anything else, milady? Maybe I could bring you something to eat."

Uru looked back at him. "No," she answered. "You have done plenty already, King Maliki." She lowered her head to where it had been, in her curled position at the side of Ahadi's corpse.

"As you wish, Queen Mother Uru," Maliki said softly. He reluctantly tore his gaze from the lioness and returned to his mate. "Let's go, honey," he said to Sarafina, who followed him out of the clearing.

They walked in silence for a minute, but once they were out of earshot, Sarafina began to speak. "I could have sworn she was flirting with you."

"Honey…" Maliki warned.

"You _like_ her, don't you?" Sarafina went on playfully, ignoring Maliki's tone.

"For pity's sake, Saffy. She's old enough to be my mother."

"I'm just teasing you," Sarafina joked.

"Sorry, but I don't think I'm much in the mood for teasing," Maliki informed her wearily.

* * *

She didn't know when she drifted between sleep and wakefulness, or how many times. She looked at the sky a lot, and she looked at Ahadi's face a lot. Sometimes she tried to imagine that it was a living, breathing face, but it was impossible. Then she would weep for a while longer, her tears soaking into his fur.

The pain's intensity level constantly fluctuated, but it was never gone. It was the horrible, horrible price of the Circle of Life. Ahadi, her king, her beloved. Her heart had belonged to him, it always had. And now, by leaving, he had ripped it out. It was still with him, but it hurt her so badly at times, like claws, like fire, only a thousand times worse. What was there now?

Her hunger grew and made its presence known, but she wasn't in the mood to silence it. Even when day came and the sun heated her dangerously, she did not move. Here was her place, beside what was now nothing but the lifeless body of her mate. She wasn't much more than a dead body herself now. The only way an observer could have been able to tell the difference was when a new wave of tears came and the sobs shook her ever more frail body.

Each night the moon shrank and the stars grew brighter. She stared at them for hours at a time. What did it all mean?

It was the day after the third night that Mufasa returned to her.

"Mother!" he cried in shock when he saw her. "What are you doing?"

"Mourning," she rasped through her parched throat.

"Mother, have you been sitting here the past three nights in a row?" He sounded so incredulous.

"Yes."

"You haven't been eating, or anything?"

"No."

"Not even a drink of water? Your voice sounds horrible!"

"No."

There was a slight pause as Mufasa struggled to take it all in. "Mother, please. This is ridiculous. We need you back with us. You need us. Please."

"You make it sound so easy," she groaned. "I can no longer make the return journey."

"Then…then I'll carry you," Mufasa announced, coming towards her.

"Do what you please," she sighed. "It will be in vain." Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. "I'm touched that you came to say goodbye, son. I really am." She sniffed as the tears began again.

"G-g-goodbye?" Mufasa stuttered, halting.

"Let's face it. I won't last much longer."

"I s-suppose so," Mufasa managed to say.

"Mufasa?" It took a lot of strength, but she turned her head towards him. "I just remembered. I needed to ask you something."

"A-a-anything, Mother," he stammered, on the verge of tears.

"When your father was dying," she asked him quietly, "didn't he say something to you?"

"Y-yes."

"What were his last words, again?"

"He said he wanted to look at the stars," Mufasa told her as a tear ran down his cheek. "He said that my g-grandfather Mohatu was up there. He said maybe he would join Mohatu, but…he wasn't sure. And then…" Mufasa broke off, eyes wide in shock. "Taka! I totally forgot! He said to tell Taka he was sorry about something. And then…then…" He couldn't finish.

"And then he stopped breathing," Uru concluded.

"Yes," Mufasa whispered.

"Well, tell everyone back home that I'm going to miss them," Uru said weakly. "Give my best regards to dear Zuzu. And tell Taka…tell Taka that I love him so much."

"I will, Mother," Mufasa confirmed. He leaned down to her and pressed his face to hers. Their tears mingled. "I love you, Mom," he sniffled, his voice growing high, like a child's. "I hope you made the right decision."

"Thanks," she replied, her voice equally shrill and pained. "I love you too, Muffy."

Mother and son stayed that way for many long moments. After an eternity the son pulled away and silently walked home.

* * *

Another night and another day came and went. By the next night after that, the moon had disappeared completely. The stars were the brightest they had ever been. The stars, the stars, the stars. Apparently Ahadi had been fascinated with the stars. She had almost forgotten that he'd been so fond of the nighttime. When they were young and in love, they'd spent many a night under the stars. And the brightest star of them all was that of his father, Mohatu.

But then there was that tale that her mother had told her, the tale about Mohatu selecting her to be Ahadi's future queen. The tale of how it seemed that such a choice was connected to her mark.

And what Maliki had said! She had asked him what he thought of her, in a roundabout way, and he had told her that she reminded him of the stars. Such a name choice was clearly connected to her mark. She'd never realized it before. It wasn't a diamond; it was a star.

Mohatu, Ahadi, herself. What did it all mean? What?

Uru's long-empty stomach growled in pain. Her throat was as dry as desert sand. But none of it mattered.

She needed to know. She didn't know why, but she needed to know. Had Mohatu connected her with the stars, and chosen her based off of that? But then how did he know that his then-newborn son would eventually fall in love with the night sky?

Fall in love…with the night sky? The words had come into her mind unbidden. Was that why Ahadi had fallen in love with her, because she had reminded him of the stars?

_What did it mean?_

Uru's vision was dimming as her eyelids began to flicker closed.

_Why?_

Her thoughts were growing weary.

_What…why…_

Blackness.


	8. The Great Rift

"Uru."

A gentle voice woke her. She slowly became aware of her surroundings, of the dark of the moonless night, of Ahadi's face before her as usual, eyes open…

Eyes open?!

Uru leapt up in shock. What was going on? There below her was Ahadi's lifeless body, as expected, but there in front of her stood a living Ahadi, whose lovely green eyes twinkled at her.

"You are confused."

"Well, yeah!" she snapped. "Wha—what is this? You're dead! B-but you're there! But…"

Ahadi blinked slowly. He lowered his head, indicating the scene below. "Look again."

Still very confused, Uru looked down at her feet. There was Ahadi's corpse, lying just the way it had been for the past few days. And on top of it…

Uru blinked. No. This was too weird.

On top of it lay herself. Or, more accurately, her own corpse. It looked dingy and malnourished, and it was not breathing. Even stranger, she herself seemed to be standing _in_ the body, as if it—or she—wasn't really there.

"So you mean _I'm_ dead," she concluded.

"Correction: your body can no longer sustain its previous state of life." He chuckled. "You, however, are perfectly alive."

Uru looked back at her mate, realization dawning on her face. "So if I'm alive, and you're alive, we get to be together again?" It sounded too good to be true.

"That is most certainly true," Ahadi confirmed for her.

A smile began to grow on Uru's face. Her pain dissipated. Ahadi was hers once again! She could barely believe it. She leapt towards him and embraced him, squeezing him as hard as she could.

"I missed you," she squeaked, crying tears of joy.

Ahadi returned the affection. "I missed you too."

After several blissful moments, Uru pulled away. She looked Ahadi sternly in the eyes, though she still smiled. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, buster. I've been puzzling over something for days now."

"All in good time, my dear. We've got the rest of eternal time to talk about whatever your little heart desires. So. Did Mufasa deliver my message to Taka?"

"Huh?"

"I think he might have told you about it. My apology."

"Uh…no. I don't think he did."

"Oh, dear." Ahadi's face grew worried, and he sighed. "I feel so bad about Taka. Maybe we should send Muffy a reminder. Here, climb on my back." He turned his side towards her.

Uru obliged. "Where are we going?" she asked excitedly as she gripped his neck with her forelimbs.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough," Ahadi said, and with that he leapt into the sky.

* * *

Scar hadn't been back to Pride Rock in days. He caught his own food and avoided his own kind. He didn't feel like talking to anybody. He'd already tried talking to his hyena companions, but they hadn't seemed to care, so he hadn't stayed in their territory long.

He snorted. How could Dad do this to him? How could Mufasa be so rude? He stopped walking and looked up at the sky, glimmering with stars. He'd get back at them, one day. He didn't know how yet, but he would.

Suddenly something flashed across his vision. It was gone just as quickly, but he had been able to look upward quickly enough to see what it was. A shooting star! He'd only seen one once before.

For some reason he felt funny. He felt…cold, alone, as if he'd lost something. As if the star symbolized something that had been taken from him. He didn't like the sensation of not knowing what he had lost. He shuddered, feeling suddenly lonely and fearful.

* * *

Mufasa, out walking that night, gasped when he saw the star shoot across the sky. He hadn't seen a shooting star since he was a cub. It was one night when he was out with Taka; they'd been under the stars together, just the two of them, awing at the night sky. They'd been talking about the great kings of the past, and how they watched over the land from their home in the stars.

Realization hit him. Taka! He still hadn't delivered his father's message! How could he have forgotten again? First there was the night after the battle, when they'd gotten distracted by arguing. Then there was yesterday, when he'd been talking to Mother. He'd remembered for a moment, but had soon forgotten, for obvious reasons.

He'd felt so bad, leaving her there to die. But she had wanted it so strongly, so he had granted her wish. He wondered if Mother's body had given out yet. Perhaps her spirit had gone on to a better place. Perhaps she had joined Father in the sky. He hoped so; it would make her so happy.

He remembered that Mother had given him a message for Taka as well. He'd better go find him soon, while the thoughts were still fresh in his mind. But where to look? As if in answer, he heard a noise behind him. He turned and saw nobody in the tall grass, but he had been sure he'd heard something. He started walking that direction.

"Whoa!"

Without warning he was staring into the eyes of a very familiar lion. That was…convenient.

"Well, look who it is," Taka grumbled. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to talk to you for another month."

Mufasa gritted his teeth. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you mad the other day. But I had to tell you something. The other night, when you felt so bad because Father didn't want to see you when he was dying…well, that wasn't entirely true."

Taka raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

"He gave me a message. He told me to tell you that he was sorry. It was the last thing he said before he…before he died."

Taka's eyes widened incredulously. Whatever Ahadi had been sorry about, Taka clearly understood it.

"I could tell he really meant it," Mufasa supplied.

"You're lying," Taka spat, but his face was still surprised. "You're making that up."

"I swear I am not."

Taka seemed to be stunned into silence.

"Taka, you have to believe me."

"Scar," he said. "Not Taka."

"Fine, Scar then," Mufasa relented. "I know for a fact that Father loved you. Don't be so quick to dismiss him."

Taka—Scar—didn't seem to know what to say. He looked down, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Oh, there was something else," Mufasa continued. "Mother had a message for you too. She told me to tell you that she loves you dearly."

Scar head shot back up, faster than if he'd just heard a string of swear words. "What did you say?"

"Mother told me to tell you that…"

"Why would she send that message?" Scar asked, not to anyone in particular. His face was worried now. "Where is she, Mufasa?" He thrust his nose in Mufasa's face. His eyes were wild. "Where's Mom?"

"She…she died, Taka—er, Scar. Just this evening."

Scar's expression became one of horror. "And you didn't tell me she was dying?"

Mufasa gulped. "Um. I guess I…"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Scar roared. "Why? WHY?"

Mufasa didn't know what to say.

"You were keeping this from me, weren't you!"

"I…"

"You were trying to make me feel bad! You didn't like what I said the other night, so you were trying to get revenge! Weren't you?"

"What the…"

"Weren't you?!"

"I don't know what you're…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you killed her yourself! I'll bet you that's what you did, you filthy…"

"I would never do such a thing!" Mufasa thundered. "What kind of twisted person would I have to be to kill my own mother?"

"You never cared." Angry tears brimmed in Scar's eyes. "You only cared about Dad."

"Now, you listen to me, Taka!"

"No, _you_ listen! And it's Scar!"

"Scar! I don't care! I don't know what it is you've been eating lately, but I'll have you know I would never dream of killing my own mother, not in a million years!"

"Liar," Scar hissed. "Maybe you wouldn't kill her yourself, but would you leave her to die?"

"Of course no—"

Mufasa broke off, horrified. That was exactly what he had done. He shook his head and continued on. "It wasn't like that! It was what she wanted! I was just trying to do what she wanted!"

Scar's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I knew it. You did."

"I said, it was different!"

"You disgust me, Mufasa. I don't want to look at you anymore. Get out of here."

"Okay, okay, I'm getting out of here!" He began to trot briskly away. "Sheesh."

Mufasa had only been gone for a moment when Scar, unseen by his fuming brother, suddenly crumpled on the ground. The tears came thick, and as much as he scolded himself inwardly for being a crybaby, he could not stop. His mother was dead. The only one who had truly loved him, and she was dead.

"Mom," Scar whispered as he sobbed. "Mom…"

Dad had not loved him; Mufasa had not loved him. No matter what they said, they hadn't loved him. They were lying.

But Uru…

* * *

It is mid-afternoon on the savannah, and the sun is shining brightly. A great golden lion with a midnight-black mane is trotting off to the waterhole. A tawny cub bounds happily along beside him. The two felines are father and son, and they are clearly about to have some quality bonding time.

Another cub, smaller and darker, watches wistfully as the jovial pair moves steadily away from him, off to their own little world of careless play. He is not welcome in that world.

A lioness, her pelt dark except for a diamond of white on her forehead, comes up behind the cub. She too fixes her gaze longingly on the father-son duo. She too loves both members of the pair, for she is the mate of the adult male and the mother of the cub. But she knows that a mother gets plenty enough time to love her children. It is good that the father has some time to do the same. There is only one problem: the father only chooses to connect with one of his sons.

The queen leans her head down to speak in the smaller cub's ear. "You wish you could be with them, don't you, Taka?"

Her son turns to face her. There are tears in the cub's eyes. "Uh-huh," Taka whimpers.

The lioness looks back towards where the departing pair has by now disappeared into the distance. She sighs. "I cannot make your father's choices," she murmurs. "I wish I could sometimes, but I can't."

"Why don't they like me?" Taka moans. He has started to quiver.

"Shh." The queen draws the little cub towards her with a paw. "I'm sure they like you. In fact, they love you. I know so."

"Then why don't they play with me?" Taka sobs.

Taka's mother closes her eyes in defeat. "I do not know," she concedes quietly.

"Mom?"

She opens her eyes to see Taka gazing up at her. His eyes are intense, searching, questioning.

"_You_ love me, don't you, Mom?"

The lioness bends down to nuzzle her son. "Of course I do, dear," she whispers as a tear leaks from her eye. "Of course I do."

Taka returns the nuzzle. "I love you, Mom," he tells her tearfully. "We'll always be together, won't we?"

Uru smiles. "Always, my son," she confirms. "Always."

* * *

She had not been able to follow up on her word. Because of Ahadi, because of Mufasa. That "always" was now nothing but an empty promise.

It was almost dawn when the tears finally stopped flowing. Scar felt a queer sort of pain, not really fiery, not really icy. His features pulled into a scowl. A hiss escaped his jaws. He knew the word for this feeling. It was something he had been taught as a cub to avoid. Pah. Silly, overprotective parents. They did not know how irresistible it was.

Hatred.


	9. Hormones and Pheromones

"I don't believe it," Maliki gasped. "I just don't believe it."

The king stood alone beneath the cold, moonless night. Before him lay two bodies. One was a male lion, the other a female. They were nestled together, almost as if they had died at the same time, trying to comfort each other. But Maliki knew that was not the case.

Poor Uru! If only he'd known just how deeply she had loved her mate. If only he'd been able to guess that this was coming. Then he could have tried to talk to her more, bring her meat, anything to snap her out of it and send her home alive and well. If only he'd known! Then he wouldn't have to see this atrocity. It had been bad enough knowing that his good friend Ahadi had died trying to save him. Now there was another source of guilt to bring him down, another cold, heavy weight on his aching shoulders. A sudden chill came over him, and he hunched his body, seeking inner warmth that was barely there.

He had nothing against Uru. He had rather liked her. As unnerving as her slow, painful suicide was, it was out of mourning for her loved one. It was easy to see how dearly the two monarchs had loved each other. Maybe they were together again now, somewhere. But the fact remained that it was still unnerving. Did it have to happen _here_? Did she really have to come and die here, in his own territory, just like her husband had done?

He shivered. He couldn't help but feel responsible. If only he hadn't been so brusque with those dogs! Then none of this would have happened! If he hadn't been so rude to the dogs, then they wouldn't have plotted to come after him, and Ahadi wouldn't have had to come to the rescue and pay with his life, and then Uru wouldn't have come to mourn so severely that she killed herself. Why? Why couldn't he have done that?! Maliki's face contorted in pain, squeezing tears from his eyes. It was all his fault…

Sarafina. He needed Sarafina. He needed somebody to touch him, nuzzle him, send him into unthinking and unfeeling oblivion…

The young lion rose quickly and ran from the scene. He didn't look back.

* * *

Mufasa's eyes flashed open. He was awake. But why so suddenly? The rising sun's warm rays hadn't reached the cave's interior yet; the sky outside was the medium purple of early dawn. He didn't think he'd been dreaming, either. So what had awoken him, and why did he feel so…energized?

The lion stood up quickly before he realized it. He looked down at himself, bewildered by his own actions. What was going on? Mufasa raised his head into the air. Had he smelled something in his sleep? Maybe that was it. He flared his nostrils.

His expression suddenly changed. He kept crinkling his nose, inhaling deeper of the air every second. He didn't think he smelled anything, but there he was, drinking in the morning air as if it were a drug. Something in the air, something that he just couldn't quite pinpoint as a scent, was somehow making his nose crinkle just so, his body tense in anticipation, his eyes slide giddily closed in some sort of dreamy pleasure.

Mufasa suddenly shook his head from side to side. _Snap out of it!_ he told himself sternly. He stopped and blinked several times. He couldn't get distracted by the…the…whatever it was. He had to figure out what it was first. He swept his gaze around the cave. If he were to ask anybody about this, it would have been his father. But obviously Father wasn't able to do so anymore. The lion fought back the sudden sting of brewing tears. He was past that now; he understood the Circle of Life. So who was there that he would feel comfortable confiding in?

A movement caught his eye. He swiveled his head around just in time to notice a lioness shift in her sleep. Of course! Grandmother Johari! He could trust Grandmother Johari with anything; and if anyone here were to know the answer to a hard question, it would be her.

He trotted over to his grandmother. The tan-furred, frail lioness was asleep, but twitched occasionally and murmured incoherently. Hmm. He'd noticed before that as time had passed, she had seemed to become more immersed in her dreams. He wondered what she was dreaming about. Whatever it was, it seemed to be agitating her; she'd started pawing at the air. He steeled himself and nuzzled her face.

"Johari," he said quietly. "Johari, wake up."

Johari's eyes opened as her head jerked up in surprise. "Who are you?" she blurted at Mufasa. Her eyes were on him, but they looked unfocused.

"Calm down, Johari. It's me. Mufasa."

The lioness blinked several times in confusion. At last her vision seemed to clear. "Oh…Mufasa. I'm sorry, I must have been dreaming. Good morning, my dear boy. But what's wrong? You look troubled."

"Yes," Mufasa muttered. "It's…I-I woke up this morning reeling really…I don't know. Energized, anxious. Alive. I think I'd smelled something in my sleep, but I have no idea what. I tried to identify it, but…" He trailed off nervously before finding the courage to continue. "I couldn't consciously pick up a scent, but…I must have smelled something. Something really good. I…I have no idea what's going on!"

Johari's head was cocked curiously. She turned her face up into the air and took a couple of experimental sniffs. Then her face settled. "Ah," she said calmly. "I see."

Mufasa tensed. "What is it?"

A knowing smile slid slowly across the elder's face and she looked back at Mufasa with a bit of a smirk. "It's simple, really. There are pheromones in the air. Your wife's in heat."

Mufasa's voice got caught in his throat. "Sarabi?" he finally managed to choke out, his face horrified. "You mean I…I…"

"Want to copulate with her. Don't worry, it's a completely natural reaction. You, being a male, reacted so immediately to the pheromones that you couldn't tell what they were. That's why you couldn't smell anything: your body was too distracted to notice."

The poor lion looked like he'd gone stiff with shock. A couple of short, uncomprehending noises came from his throat.

Concern appeared on Johari's face, and she reached for her grandson's paw. "Hey, are you all right?"

"How…how…how can you talk so lightly about this?"

"Easy. I'm a crazy old granny who doesn't care what the world thinks of me anymore! Ha ha ha!" Johari cackled madly before suddenly succumbing to a very violent cough.

"Er…" Mufasa was seriously tempted to sidle inconspicuously out of the embarrassing scene.

A moment later, though, the lioness cleared her throat and looked back up at the lion. "Seriously, though. I'm correct in assuming this is your first time, right? Right. Then you have to come on gently. Talk to her sweetly beforehand; a gift may be in order. Don't force her into anything. She has to want it. She probably will, but tread cautiously anyway." She looked over her shoulder, noticing that nobody else had awoken yet, and drew closer to Mufasa with a conspiratorial grin. "If I may, I recommend that stretch of riverbank far upriver in the bushwillow grove. It's shady and secluded, you're by the water, and prey tends to stop by about a mile away. You two deserve a good honeymoon, three or four days at the very least. I think the kingdom can get by for a little while on its own." She winked. "Good luck, hon. See you in a few days." And with that she curled up and went back to sleep.

Mufasa's primary emotion was bewilderment. He had just heard his own grandmother give a lengthy talk about reproduction. It was very unexpected of her, not to mention extremely awkward. But then Mufasa realized that he didn't really care. His confusion was slipping away, to be replaced by excitement. He barely noticed that his breathing was getting a bit quicker and heavier. A happy smile began to spread across his muzzle. He trotted briskly out of the cave, knowing exactly what he wanted to do.

* * *

"Sharabi. Sharabi."

A soft, low, slightly muffled voice. Mufasa's voice? She was vaguely aware of something nudging her face gently. She raised her head and dizzily blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Uh?"

"Wise and shine, Sharabi. I go' shometing fer you."

There was a rustle and a flump as something was dropped in front of her. As Sarabi's vision cleared, she saw what it was: a cluster of deep green, thorny foliage with long strands of brilliant yellow flowers. Sarabi's jaw dropped.

"Kumta flowers?" she gasped, looking up at her mate. "H-how did you get those? They're so rare, and…and all thorny!"

Sure enough, there were a couple of small red scrapes on Mufasa's muzzle, which he rubbed self-consciously with his forearm, unwittingly streaking the blood over his fur. "Oh, it was nothing," he fumbled. "Anything for you, Sarabi." He leaned down and nudged the bouquet closer to her. "Smell them. They're really nice."

Sarabi shoved her muzzle tentatively into the small bouquet and was promptly overwhelmed by its heady scent. Her eyelids slid half-closed as she inhaled more and more quickly, her lips forming into a smile. After several seconds she stopped and looked back up at Mufasa with a strange grin. "Wow. It's…strong. But nice. I…I like it. Thank you." She brought her paws under her and stood up, peering flirtingly into Mufasa's eyes. "So what's the occasion, Your Majesty?"

Mufasa was surprised by the sudden attention. "I-I-I was just wondering if you wanted to go…you know. Take a little vacation?" he stammered, blushing a bit. "If you want to, of course. We don't have to…"

"Oh, Your Majesty, you just read my mind," Sarabi said sweetly. She stepped forward and rubbed her forehead beneath his chin, stepping forward and letting his face trace slowly along her entire spine as she moved. She playfully swatted his nose with the tip of her tail as she slid past. She began to make for the cave exit, but stopped halfway to peer anxiously over her shoulder. "Oi, aren't you coming?"

Mufasa shook himself out of the sudden heady stupor that had overcome him when Sarabi had caressed him. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Here I come." He started trotting towards her.

"Wait, bring the flowers," she told him. "I like them."

* * *

Scar had been sleeping by the sunning rocks recently; only frequented by the pride during the daytime, he would be sure to be left alone there during the night. The light and warmth of the rising sun awoke him. He yawned and stretched, then stood up and shook his mane out. Just another boring day. Every day was boring when you were a non-ruling male.

Scar smiled to himself. At least he was next in line after Mufasa. If Mufasa were to die or disappear, the throne would go to him. He grinned wider as schemes began to flash through his mind. He'd have to think of something really dramatic, really ironic, but something that wouldn't raise suspicion in the pride. Heh. He could wait. He had all the time in the world to plan…

He stiffened. Something in the air had…_changed_. He sniffed the air multiple times. He wasn't sure what it was that he was smelling, but he liked it. He continued to inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. A dreamy smile slid lazily across his face. He was entranced.

A figure entered his vision. Scar blinked in surprise and focused on the animal that had just come around the hill. A lioness. Sarabi! She had never looked so _beautiful_ to him before. Scar's eyes widened and his heart rate quickened. So that was what he was feeling! He wanted to…to…to chase her, catch her, pin her down, and start with the…

He couldn't take it anymore. He leapt from the rocks and began to gallop down the grassy slope towards her. Sarabi had turned to look behind her, so she couldn't see him approaching from the side. Yes, yes, he had her. He had her now! He made a leap for her back, claws outstretched.

BAM!

Before Scar knew what had happened, he was on his side in the grass. He rolled onto his belly and looked towards Sarabi, surprised to see he had been knocked several feet away from her. She was staring at him, quite visibly frightened. But in front of her crouched Mufasa. His limbs were tense, his head lowered, his eyes narrowed, his lips pulled back their farthest in a furious snarl. His gaze held Scar's. He said, nothing, but growled a low, dangerous growl. The message was clear: _Not yours_.

Okay. Now Scar was just mad. He brought his legs under him and leapt blindly towards his brother. He would pay. He would pay for interfering, pay for claiming the girl, pay for the deaths of their parents, pay for taking the throne. He would pay!

He was met with a heavy paw in the face. He fell again, but the other lion was on top of him. He sank his teeth angrily into the other lion's arm. The other lion roared in pain, losing his balance. Scar rolled on top of him, but the momentum sent both of them tumbling over each other. Claws in the face! Paws in the belly, teeth in the neck! They snarled, swiped, bit, scratched, struck…

* * *

In the end, Mufasa finally got the smaller lion pinned completely beneath him. The other lion struggled wildly, but could not escape from underneath Mufasa's weight. The king raised his paw, claws extended. He would end this. He should have ended this a long time ago!

"No, Mufasa, no! Don't kill him!"

Mufasa froze at the sound of a familiar voice, a couple of octaves higher than it usually sounded due to fear. Sarabi's plea cut through his defensive, feral state. His panting slowed, and his eyes refocused. It was a second before he knew what he was seeing. The dark lion below him, marked by a matted mane and a deep slash over one of his green eyes, was Scar. But beneath the wild, angry surface Mufasa could barely see his young, innocent brother. Taka. Mufasa gulped. He'd almost killed his brother!

He put his paw down and backed away. His littermate shakily regained his footing. Mufasa took a deep breath to steady his nerves and spoke in a kingly way:

"I'll forgive you this once, Tak—er, Scar. You were overcome by instinct, so I can't blame you this time. But in the future, I'm not going to be so generous." He turned to Sarabi. "Shall we continue, dear?"

The still-frightened Sarabi gratefully stumbled forward, eager to leave the scene. Mufasa, however, hung back for a moment. He carefully approached Scar and thrust his nose into his brother's face.

"Let me make it quite clear to you," he whispered dangerously. "Sarabi. Is. Mine. Now go before I get mad again." He turned away, picked up the bright green-and-yellow bouquet that he had dropped in his haste, and trotted off through the grass to catch up with his queen.


	10. The Drama Next Door

It was dusk when the king returned. His pale fur stood out clearly against the dark earth; it wasn't long before the gathering lionesses began to greet him.

"My king! You've returned!"

"How was it?"

"Did you have fun?"

"It's good to have you back!"

Maliki said nothing. He barely heard his subjects' greetings. His head hung low, staring perpetually at the rocky ground, and his tail drooped. It didn't take long for the lionesses to nervously halt their chatter, and they looked upon their king with concern in their eyes.

"Uh…Y-Your Majesty?" prodded one lioness. "Are you all right?"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M ALL RIGHT?!" Maliki roared, snapping his head up.

He caught his breath the next second, but the damage was done. The lionesses flinched as one, their faces fearful, and soon started to trickle away timidly. Maliki's head began to sag again; he hadn't meant to snap. He was just…irritated.

"Ardhi."

One brownish-furred lioness turned around. "Eh?"

"Come." Maliki began to walk towards a lone tree near the edge of the cliff, the lioness following nervously. He wasn't really sure why he had called her name. But he needed to talk to somebody. Needed to release some of his worries with his most trusted friend.

He sat down beneath the tree, and Ardhi followed suit. Neither spoke for several moments. At long last Maliki took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Ardhi," he sighed, "I hope you don't mind me dragging you over here like this. I…"

"Oh, don't apologize, Maliki. I'm honored you wish to speak with me."

Maliki chuckled weakly. "I'm glad you think that way. I just…just think I should talk to somebody, and you're the best option."

"Me?" Ardhi asked, confused. "But I…what about your queen? Sarafina?"

"That is precisely what I wanted to speak about," Maliki growled as he glared off into the distance. But after a moment, he sighed heavily, his features softened again, and he turned back to the lioness. "Sorry, Ardhi, I-I'm not trying to be so blunt. I'm just…not in the best mood."

"Shh. There is no need to apologize to me; we all get worked up occasionally."

Maliki dropped his gaze from Ardhi's eyes and moaned in confusion and inner pain.

"Maliki." Ardhi draped her paw over Maliki's paw. "Look at me."

The lion obediently looked up, back into the lionesses' face. Her face was soft, her yellowish eyes gentle.

"Look, I've been your friend longer than anyone else in the pride. I met you at the border long before you built up the nerve to challenge Kongwe for the throne. I'd already known you for a month by the time you fell in love with Sarafina." She lowered her head briefly, as if summoning her next words, and then looked back up at him. "I'm here for you, my friend. I'm willing to do anything, put up with anything, as long as it makes you feel better."

Maliki smiled weakly. He'd forgotten just how much he could count on Ardhi to help him out when he was having trouble. He usually turned to Sarafina for emotional support. But this time, obviously, that was out of the question.

"So," Ardhi began, "judging from your reaction earlier, am I correct in guessing that this has something to do with Sarafina?"

"To put it simply, yes," Maliki grunted, his gloomy mood returning.

"Well, what happened? I mean, you two went off together a couple of days ago, and now you come back to the pride alone. What gives?"

Maliki opened his mouth to speak, but choked on his words. Even with his best friend, he wasn't entirely ready to speak about his outing. He took a couple of breaths and tried again. "Sarafina…she was…reluctant. It's like she used to enjoy it more. I mean, yeah, I know her instincts clamor for it and she can't help but feel pleasure and all, but…ugh." His head dropped. "Each time we took a break, she sounded more and more pessimistic. Uh…"

Arhi's face remained neutral. "Could you give some specifics, what she actually said?"

"I don't remember all of it, but later on, after her mood got worse, she started muttering about me not being devoted to her exclusively enough or something. And then—and this was really weird—she started talking about Uru. She said I liked Uru more than her, or something dumb like that." He snorted. "As if! She was twice my age!"

"Ah, yes," Arhi mused quietly. "The classic female condition: jealousy."

Maliki didn't hear her. "I don't think I've ever seen her so unhappy. It…it's almost as if…but no…th-that can't be it."

Ardhi stroked Maliki's paw ever so gently. "Yes?"

"I'm worried that…that she doesn't love me anymore. It's like…our connection is dying. I-I don't understand."

"Maliki…" Ardhi began. "I don't want to, you know, make you mad or anything, but I have to ask you to do something for me."

The king turned to his friend in confusion. "Do something?"

"Yeah. Take a second and think back…and tell me honestly. How long ago did you and Sarafina meet?"

"Why, six months," Maliki said easily, surprised at the question. "When I claimed this land."

"And how long did it take before your first copulation?"

"Uh…" Maliki halted nervously. "Let's see, I remember noticing her not long after defeating the old king. She caught my eye, being so…attractive…oh…" He trailed off, afraid to admit his memories, but he steeled himself and continued. "She…wasn't just attractive. She was in heat, dammit. I went with her that very night because she was in heat. My first time ever. She seemed to be very enthusiastic."

"I see," Ardhi muttered. "So the two of you had a very…_immediate_ physical connection."

Maliki blushed. "Yes."

"How about the emotional connection?"

"Well, we liked to confide in each other and empathize with each other, so…"

"All the time?"

Maliki held his breath for a moment. His pained expression betrayed him. After a moment he exhaled loudly. "No."

"So your emotional connection was never very strong. I see."

"Hey, it was," Maliki protested defensively.

Ardhi gave him the one-eyebrow-raised look.

"Okay, okay, we don't have the most compatible personalities. But we try. Okay?" He turned away in a huff. "What would _you_ understand about it? You've never been in love."

"I…" Ardhi began, but stopped herself. No. Not now…

"Call me an idiot if you want," Maliki continued, still growling angrily, still turned away from her. "Go ahead. I probably am one. But I love Sarafina, I always have, and I always will. I don't care that we have some issues. She was my first love and she will be my last. It's the least I can do in this world."

Ardhi hesitated before continuing. Though Maliki didn't know it, he had cut deep. She spoke as gently as she could manage, trying to sound sincere. "I…I'm sorry, Maliki. I didn't know it meant that much to you."

There was a pause before Ardhi heard Maliki sigh and saw his posture go limp. "No…I'm the one who should be sorry. I should listen to you. You're right…Sarafina and I are just too different." He swiveled his head back around to look at Ardhi. "But I can't just leave her, just like that. I…I have to think. And I can't just walk up to her and say, 'Hey honey, guess what, you aren't my honey anymore!' I have to stay with her for a while longer. At least three or four months, you know. Er, I mean…"

Ardhi froze. "Oh, don't tell me…"

Maliki cringed. "I…I think I got her pregnant this time."

"Oh…well, then. That's a different story."

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Fine." Ardhi turned her nose up. "You be there for her just because she's got your cub growing inside her. Be there when our kingdom receives its new heir. Stay with her until the end of time for the sake of being nice, for the sake of being the most faithful being alive. Go ahead. I clearly can't stop you." She pushed herself to her feet and stalked off along the ridge, flicking her tail in anger behind her.

Maliki was, by now, completely confused. Where had that come from? Since when did Ardhi get so touchy about him and his sexual life? Now he wasn't even sure why he'd started this conversation in the first place. It was insane of him to think that a mere friend could be trusted with such confidential revelations. What had he been thinking? He stood, thoroughly irritated at Ardhi, at females, and at life, and stomped off in the other direction.

* * *

Ardhi didn't slow down until she was a good twenty yards away from Maliki. She wasn't entirely sure why she had gotten so terse back there. She didn't want to get mad at her best friend. She never liked seeing him hurt or in a bad mood.

But…

She struck the ground angrily with her paw. How could he be so blind? Why couldn't he see what he had done? He had gone off with the first and prettiest girl that he'd seen and then pledged to never let anybody else have a chance. It was ridiculous. If he'd met a nice girl and worked slowly towards mutual understanding _first_, then maybe she could forgive his choice. But had he done that? No. He was just being silly, trying to make himself feel better.

But what was she thinking, wanting to muck around with his life like this? He was her best friend. She shouldn't interfere with his choices. She liked to think that she was willing to let him go and do whatever he pleased. She mostly did let him. However, it wasn't exactly willingly that she did so. It was reluctantly. She let him go because she cared too much about him to want to make a mess of things for him. He was more or less happy now. She didn't want to run the risk of making things worse. That was really the only reason she stayed out of things. Well, that and her cowardice.

And yet, as she stood there, staring at her paws, she could see her vision start to swim, feel a quivering presence before her eyes. Her face was tight, pained. She could never tell him, since she feared getting his life more tangled. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the tears down her cheeks; they ran down her fur a ways before dripping to the ground. After a moment she opened her eyes again and turned to look wistfully back at the tree where they had just been, but she could no longer see Maliki's pale coat gleaming beneath it in the low evening light.

_Maliki,_ she thought as she felt new tears replacing the ones she had just shed, _why couldn't it have been me?

* * *

_

Sarafina walked slowly along the northern border of her pride's lands, gazing north. The kingdom just north of them…She hadn't known much about them before all of this started. They had seemed like nice enough people, trying to protect her pride from the dog attack. Well, more specifically, protect Maliki. They'd just cared about him, not the rest of her pride. Her family.

She'd started growling. _Curse you, Maliki! _Everything their kingdom had had to go through recently was connected to him. He'd shown up six months ago, a hotheaded and scrawny young adult all on his own, and somehow managed to overthrow the established king. Poor Kongwe! He had been growing old; he didn't deserve to die so violently! Every lioness, without exception, had cherished the wise elder lion. And then BAM, oh look, here comes a fresh little twerp who thinks he's ready to take on the world.

She'd known something was up when mere hours after the humiliating the battle, the youngster had chased after her. How dare he? Granted, she couldn't have been older than him by more than a few weeks herself, and she _was_ in heat, but still. It just wasn't done! Why had she gone along with him so willingly? Because she had been young and foolish, that's why. He was the first young (and attractive) male she'd seen since her cousins had been sent away months before. She'd been stupid, stupid and needy.

And that…that Uru! When Sarafina had first found the stranger mourning, she'd been worried for her and run to her husband for help. But then the two of them had started hitting it off like old friends. Very suspicious. Well, there went Sarafina's sympathy for that woman. Selfish twit.

The queen was growling louder now. Curse Maliki. Curse this kingdom. Curse it all! As long as she stayed here, she'd be bound to that trouble magnet that was His Majesty. Maybe she could escape to the kingdom to the north, make some new friends. That Mufasa guy had seemed like a nice fellow, at least.

Sarafina sat down heavily in the grass, looking longingly out towards the northern horizon. She couldn't leave. She wasn't brave enough, dammit. She would stay here forever because she lacked the determination to simply stand up and take a few more steps northward. She let her head fall. It was hopeless.

She looked at her belly. Something felt strange about it; something was different. Sure, it was flat now, but she could feel it, and she could tell—she knew—that in a few months, that belly would be round and bloated with Maliki's cubs. She sprawled on the ground and dropped her head on her paws, exhaling sharply. She hated her life right now.


End file.
